Theology

Golden Rule in the Negative Form in Palestinian Jewish Literature

In ancient Jewish Palestinian literature the saying is found only in a negative version;a likewise in the “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles.”b The positive version in Jesus’ mouth goes beyond the negative version just as far as, for example, “help and support” goes beyond “do no harm.”

2 Chronicles 7:14 in Rabbinic Literature

Jerusalem Talmud Taʿanit 2.65B.3: R. Eleazar (ca. 270) said, “Three things cancel a hard (divine) decree, namely, prayer, almsgiving, and repentance, and all three are contained in one scriptural verse; see 2 Chr 7:13: ‘Then when my people bow down, over whom my name is named, and when they pray,’ this refers

Because Wants to Hear the Prayers of His People

Genesis Rabbah 45 (28C): Why were the matriarchs (of Israel) barren? R. Levi (ca. 300) said in the name of R. Shela of Kefar Temarta (the village of dates; ca. 280) and R. Helbo (ca. 300) in the name of R. Yohanan († 279), “Because God desired their prayers and their words.”—The same is found in Midr.

Isaiah 11:3b-5

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

or decide by what his ears hear;

4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,

and fa

 Isaiah 11:1-2

Ah, you who make iniquitous decrees,

who write oppressive statutes,

2 to turn aside the needy from justice

and to rob the poor of my people of their right,

that widows may be your spoil,

and that you may make the orphans your prey!

Tobit 4:15 and the Golden Rule:

15 And what you hate, do not do to anyone

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Tob 4:14–15.

Hillel and the Golden Rule:

The statement attributed to Hillel, "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor; this is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary," appears in the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Shabbat 31a. Here's the relevant passage:

> אָמַר הִלְיוּן אַבְטָא רַבּוּת שֶׁמָּה נָבוֹן וּמָה נָבוֹן אֵלֶּה שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר לְךָ בְּשַׁבּ

The Golden Rule and the Sophists

Some have concluded (e.g., R. G. Hammerton-Kelly, IDB Supp., p. 369) that the “golden rule” originated in the Sophist movement in Greece (5th cent. b.c.), was taken over by Hellenistic Judaism, and from there found its way into early Christian teaching. It is incontestable that Christianity derived this principle fro